It is within the memory of many persons that jelly was only to be made from calves' feet by a slow, difficult, and expensive process. There is, indeed, a story told of the wife of a lawyer, early in this century, having appropriated some valuable parchment deeds to make jelly, when she could not procure calves' feet. But the secret that it could be so made was carefully guarded by the possessors of it, and it was not until the introduction of Nelson's Gelatine that people were brought to believe that jelly could be made other than in the old-fashioned way. Even now there is a lingering superstition that there is more nourishment in jelly made of calves' feet than that made from Gelatine. The fact is, however, that Gelatine is equally nutritious from whatever source it is procured. Foreign Gelatine, as is well known, does sometimes contain substances which, if not absolutely deleterious, are certainly undesirable; but Messrs. Nelson warrant their Gelatine of equal purity with that derived from calves' feet.

It is unnecessary to enlarge on the economy both in time and money of using Gelatine, or the more certain result obtained from it. If the recipe given for making "a quart of jelly" is closely followed, a most excellent and brilliant jelly will be produced. Many cooks get worried about their jelly-bags, and are much divided in opinion as to the best kind to use. It is not a point of great consequence whether a felt or close flannel is selected. We incline to the latter, which must be of good quality, and if the material is not thick it should be used double.

When put away otherwise than perfectly clean and dry, or when stored in a damp place, flannel bags are sure to acquire a strong mouldy flavour, which is communicated to all jelly afterwards strained through them.

The great matter, therefore, to observe in respect of the jelly-bag, is that it be put away in a proper condition, that is, perfectly free from all stiffness and from any smell whatever.

As soon as the bag is done with, turn it inside out, throw it into a pan of boiling water, stir it about with a spoon until it is cleansed. Then, have another pan of boiling water, and again treat the bag in the same manner. Add as much cold water as will enable you to wring the bag out dry, or it can be wrung out in a cloth. This done, finally rinse in hot water, wring, and, if possible, dry the bag in the open air. See that it is perfectly free from smell; if not, wash in very hot water again. Wrap the bag in several folds of clean paper and keep it in a dry place.

A thing to be observed is that, if the jelly is allowed to come very slowly to boiling-point it will be more effectually cleared, as the impurities of the sugar and the thicker portions of the lemons thus rise more surely with the egg than if this part of the process is too rapidly carried out. In straining, if the jelly is well made, it is best to pour all into the bag at one time, doing it slowly, so as not to break up the scum more than necessary. Should the jelly not be perfectly bright on a first straining, it should be kept hot, and slowly poured again through the bag. The contents of the bag should not be disturbed, nor should the slightest pressure be applied, as this is certain to cloud the jelly. If brandy is used, it should be put in after the jelly is strained, as by boiling both the spirit and flavour of it are lost.

In order that jelly may turn out well, do not put it into the mould until it is on the point of setting. If attention is paid to this there will never be any difficulty in getting jelly to turn out of a mould, and putting it into hot water or using hot cloths will be unnecessary. A mould should be used as cold as possible, because then when the jelly comes into contact with it, it is at once set and cannot stick. Any kind of mould may be used. If the direction to put the jelly in when just setting is followed, it will turn out as well from an earthenware as from a copper mould.

It should be unnecessary to say that the utmost cleanliness is imperative to insure the perfection of jelly. So delicate a substance not only contracts any disagreeable flavour, but is rendered cloudy by the least touch of any greasy spoon, or by a stewpan which has not been properly cleansed.

HOW TO USE GELATINE.

There are a few points connected with the use of Gelatine for culinary purposes which cannot be too strongly impressed upon housekeepers and cooks.

1. Gelatine should always be soaked in cold water till it is thoroughly saturated—say, till it is so soft that it will tear with the fingers—whether this is specified in the recipe or not.

2. Nelson's Gelatine being cut very fine will soak in about an hour, but whenever possible it is desirable to give it a longer time. When convenient, it is a good plan to put Gelatine to soak over-night. It will then dissolve in liquid below boiling-point.

When jelly has to be cleared with white of egg do not boil it longer than necessary. Two minutes is quite sufficient to set the egg and clarify the jelly.

Use as little Gelatine as possible; that is to say, never use more than will suffice to make a jelly strong enough to retain its form when turned out of the mould. The prejudice against Gelatine which existed in former years was doubtless caused by persons unacquainted with its qualities using too large a quantity, and producing a jelly hard, tough, and unpalatable, which compared very unfavourably with the delicate jellies they had been accustomed to make from calves' feet, the delicacy of which arose from the simple fact that the Gelatine derived from calves' feet is so weak that it is almost impossible to make the jellies too strong.

Persons accustomed to use Gelatine will know that its "setting" power is very much affected by the temperature. In the recipes contained in the following pages the quantity of Gelatine named is that which experience has shown to be best suited to the average temperature of this country. In hot weather and foreign climates a little more Gelatine should be added.

TO MAKE A QUART OF BRILLIANT JELLY.

Soak one ounce of Nelson's Opaque Gelatine in half-a-pint of cold water for two or three hours, and then add the same quantity of boiling water; stir until dissolved, and add the juice and peel of two lemons, with wine and sugar sufficient to make the whole quantity one quart; have ready the white and shell of an egg, well beaten together, or a packet of Nelson's Albumen, and stir these briskly into the jelly; boil for two minutes without stirring it; remove from the fire, allow it to stand two minutes, and strain through a close flannel bag. Let it be on the point of setting before putting into the mould.

AN ECONOMICAL JELLY.

For general family use it is not necessary to clear jelly through the bag, and a quart of excellent jelly can be made as follows: Soak one ounce of Nelson's Gelatine in half-a-pint of cold water for two or three hours, then add a 3d. packet of Nelson's Citric Acid and three-quarters of a pound of loaf sugar; pour on half-a-pint of boiling water and half-a-pint of sherry, orange or other wine (cold), and add one-twelfth part of a bottle of Nelson's Essence of Lemon; stir for a few minutes before pouring into the moulds.

The effect of citric acid in the above quantity is to make the jelly clearer. When this is not of consequence, a third of a packet can be used, and six ounces of sugar. Wine can be omitted if desired, and water substituted for it. Ginger-beer makes an excellent jelly for those who do not wish for wine, and hedozone is also very good.

JELLY WITH FRUIT.

This is an elegant sweetmeat, and with clear jelly and care in moulding, can be made by inexperienced persons, particularly if Nelson's Bottled Jelly is used. If the jelly is home-made the recipe for making a "quart of jelly" will be followed. When the jelly is on the point of setting, put sufficient into a cold mould to cover the bottom of it. Then place in the centre, according to taste, any fine fruit you choose, a few grapes, cherries, strawberries, currants, anything you like, provided it is not too heavy to break the jelly. Put in another layer of jelly, and when it is set enough, a little more fruit, then fill up your mould with jelly, and let it stand for some hours.

RIBBON JELLY.

Soak one ounce of Nelson's Patent Gelatine in half-a-pint of cold water for twenty minutes, then add the same quantity of boiling water. Stir until dissolved, and add the juice and peel of two lemons, with wine and sugar sufficient to make the whole quantity one quart. Have ready the white and shell of an egg, well beaten together, and stir these briskly into the jelly; then boil for two minutes without stirring, and remove it from the fire; allow it to stand two minutes, then strain it through a close flannel bag. Divide the jelly in two equal parts, leaving one pint of a yellow colour, and adding a few drops of prepared cochineal to colour the remainder a bright red. Put a small quantity of red jelly into a mould previously soaked in cold water. Let this set, then pour in a small quantity of the pale jelly, and repeat this until the mould is full, taking care that each layer is perfectly firm before pouring in the other. Put it in a cool place, and the next day turn it out. Or, the mould may be partly filled with the yellow jelly, and when this is thoroughly set, fill up with the red.

Ribbon jelly and jelly of two colours can be made in any pretty fancy mould (there are many to be had for the purpose); of course one colour must always be perfectly firm before the other is put in, or the effect would be spoilt by the two colours running into each other. Ribbon jelly can be made with two kinds of Nelson's Bottled Jelly. The Sherry will be used for the pale, and Cherry or Port Wine jelly for the red colour. Thus an elegant jelly will be made in a few minutes.

CLARET JELLY.

Take one ounce of Nelson's Patent Gelatine, soak for twenty minutes in half-a-pint of cold water, then dissolve. Add three-quarters of a pound of sugar, a pot of red-currant jelly, and a bottle of good ordinary claret, and stir over the fire till the sugar is dissolved. Beat the whites and shells of three eggs, stir them briskly into the preparation, boil for two minutes longer, take it off the fire, and when it has stood for two minutes pass it through the bag. This should be a beautiful red jelly, and perfectly clear.

COFFEE JELLY.

Soak an ounce of Nelson's Gelatine in half-a-pint of water for an hour or more, dissolve it in a pint-and-a-half of boiling water with half-a-pound of sugar. Clear it with white of egg, and run through a jelly-bag as directed for making "a quart of brilliant jelly." This done, stir in a tablespoonful, or rather more if liked, of Allen and Hanbury's CafÉ Vierge, which is a very fine essence of coffee. Or, instead of dissolving the Gelatine in water, use strong coffee.

COCOA JELLY.

Make half-a-pint of cocoa from the nibs, taking care to have it clear. Soak half-an-ounce of Nelson's Gelatine in half-a-pint of water; add a quarter of a pound of sugar, dissolve, and clear the jelly with the whites and shells of two eggs in the usual way. Flavour with Nelson's Essence of Vanilla after the jelly has been through the bag.

When a clear jelly is not required, the cocoa can be made of Schweitzer's Cocoatina, double the quantity required for a beverage being used. Mix this with half-an-ounce of Nelson's Gelatine and flavour with vanilla.

ORANGES FILLED WITH JELLY.

Cut a small round from the stalk end of each orange, and scoop out the inside. Throw the skins into cold water for an hour to harden them, drain, and when quite dry inside, half fill with pink jelly. Put in a cool place, and when the jelly is firm, fill up with pale jelly or blanc-mange; set aside again, and cut into quarters before serving. Arrange with a sprig of myrtle between each quarter. Use lemons instead of oranges if preferred.

ORANGE FRUIT JELLY.

Boil half-a-pound of lump sugar in a gill of water until melted. Stir in half-an-ounce of Nelson's Gelatine previously soaked in a gill of cold water; when it is dissolved beat a little, and let it stand until cold. Rub four lumps of sugar on the peel of two fine oranges, so as to get the full and delicate flavour; add this sugar with the juice of a lemon and sufficient orange juice strained to make half-a-pint to the above. Beat well together, and when on the point of setting, add the fruit of two oranges prepared as follows: Peel the oranges, cut away all the white you can without drawing the juice, divide the orange in quarters, take out seeds and all pith, and cut the quarters into three or four pieces. Mix these with the jelly, which at once put into a mould, allowing it to stand a few hours before turning out.

APPLE JELLY.

Take one pound of apples, peel them with a sharp knife, cut them in two, take out the core, and cut the fruit into small pieces. Place the apples in a stewpan, with three ounces of lump sugar, half-a-pint of water, a small teaspoonful of Nelson's Citric Acid, and six drops of Nelson's Essence of Lemon. Put the stewpan on the fire, and boil the apples till they are quite tender, stirring occasionally to prevent the fruit sticking to the bottom of the pan; or the apples can be steamed in a potato-steamer, afterwards adding lemon-juice and sugar. Soak an ounce of Nelson's Gelatine in a gill of cold water, dissolve it, and when the apples are cooked to a pulp, place a hair sieve over a basin and rub the apples through with a wooden spoon; stir the melted Gelatine into the apples, taking care that it is quite smoothly dissolved. If liked, colour part of the apples by stirring in half a spoonful of cochineal colouring.

Rinse a pint-and-a-half mould in boiling water, and then in cold water; ornament the bottom of the mould with pistachio nuts cut in small pieces, or preserved cherries, according to taste. When on the point of setting put the apples into the mould, and if any part of the apples are coloured, fill the mould alternately with layers of coloured and plain apples. Stand the mould aside in a cool place to set the apples, then turn out the jelly carefully on a dish, and send to table with cream whipped to a stiff froth.

LEMON SPONGE.

To an ounce of Nelson's Gelatine add one pint of cold water, let it stand for twenty minutes, then dissolve it over the fire, add the rind of two lemons thinly pared, three-quarters of a pound of lump sugar, and the juice of three lemons; boil all together two minutes, strain it and let it remain till nearly cold, then add the whites of two eggs well beaten, and whisk ten minutes, when it will become the consistence of sponge. Put it lightly into a glass dish immediately, leaving it in appearance as rocky as possible.

This favourite sweetmeat is also most easily and successfully made with Nelson's Lemon Sponge. Dissolve the contents of a tin in half-a-pint of boiling water, let it stand until it is on the point of setting, then whip it until very white and thick.

If any difficulty is experienced in getting the Lemon Sponge out of the tin, set it in a saucepan of boiling water for fifteen minutes. In cold weather also, should the sponge be slow in dissolving, put it in a stewpan with the boiling water and stir until dissolved; but do not boil it. It is waste of time to begin whipping until the sponge is on the point of setting. A gill of sherry may be added if liked, when the whipping of the sponge is nearly completed. Put the sponge into a mould rinsed with cold water. It will be ready for use in two or three hours. A very pretty effect is produced by ornamenting this snow-white sponge with preserved barberries, or cherries, and a little angelica cut into pieces to represent leaves.

STRENGTHENING JELLY.

Put one ounce each of sago, ground rice, pearl barley, and Nelson's Gelatine—previously soaked in cold water—into a saucepan, with two quarts of water; boil gently till the liquid is reduced one-half. Strain and set aside till wanted. A few spoonfuls of this jelly may be dissolved in broth, tea, or milk. It is nourishing and easily digested.

DUTCH FLUMMERY.

To an ounce and a half of Nelson's Patent Gelatine add a pint of cold water; let it steep, then pour it into a saucepan, with the rinds of three lemons or oranges; stir till the Gelatine is dissolved; beat the yolk of three eggs with a pint of good raisin or white wine, add the juice of the fruit, and three-quarters of a pound of lump sugar. Mix the whole well together, boil one minute, strain through muslin, stir occasionally till cold; then pour into moulds.

ASPIC JELLY.

Were it not for the trouble of making Aspic Jelly, it would be more generally used than it is, for it gives not only elegance but value to a number of cold dishes. We have now the means of making this with the greatest ease, rapidity, and cheapness. Soak an ounce of Nelson's Gelatine in a pint of cold water, dissolve it in a pint of boiling water, add a large teaspoonful of salt, a tablespoonful of French vinegar, and the contents of a tin of Nelson's Extract of Meat dissolved in a gill of boiling water. Wash the shell of an egg before breaking it, beat up white and shell to a strong froth, and stir into the aspic. Let it come slowly to the boil, and when it has boiled two minutes, let it stand for another two minutes, then strain through a flannel bag kept for the purpose. If a stiff aspic is required, use rather less water.

HOW TO MAKE A JELLY-BAG.

The very stout flannel called double-mill, used for ironing blankets, is a good material for a jelly-bag. Take care that the seam of the bag be stitched twice, to secure the jelly against unequal filtration. The bag may, of course, be made any size, but one of twelve or fourteen inches deep, and seven or eight across the mouth, will be sufficient for ordinary use. The most convenient way of using the bag is to tie it upon a hoop the exact size of the outside of its mouth, and to do this tape should be sewn round it at equal distances.

If there is no jelly-bag in a house, a good substitute may be made thus: Take a clean cloth folded over corner-ways, and sew it up one side, making it in the shape of a jelly-bag. Place two chairs back to back, then take the sewn-up cloth and hang it between the two chairs by pinning it open to the top bar of each chair. Place a basin underneath the bag. Here is another substitute: Turn a kitchen stool upside down, and tie a fine diaper broth napkin, previously rinsed in hot water, to the four legs, place a basin underneath and strain through the napkin.